More About the Man at Meteghan.

JUDGE SAVARY ADDS TO THE FACTS KNOWN OF THIS UNFORTUNATE FOREIGNER.

(St. John Sun.)

Judge Savary, of Annapolis, in writing to the Sun, gives some additional information about the “Mysterious Man of Meteghan,” whose history has been printed in this paper. This man was found years ago on the Nova Scotian shore. His legs had been amputated and he had evidently been abandoned there. Since that time he has hardly spoken a word, and no one has been able to learn much about him.

After the first story was printed, Senator King threw some more light on the subject. He said that the man had been found partly frozen, in the lumber woods in Kings county; was cared for there for a time, had his frozen legs amputated , and was sent to St. John. The people here did not want the trouble of taking care of the unknown, so placed him on a schooner, from which he was put ashore on the Nova Scotian coast.

Judge Savary writes that there never was any halo of romance or tradition surrounding this hapless Italian, who was deserted on the shore at Sandy Cove. The people who first found him there were not fisher folk. Robert Bishop, farmer, merchant and J.P., and another man, both yet living, were on the hill at Sandy Cove when they saw two small sailing vessels come into the cove, put something into a boat and send the boat ashore. They thought the vessels were coming for water, but after they had sailed away a man, half-witted and of defective speech, came running to them and pointing to the shore, said there was a man there with no legs. Mr. Bishop and his friend went and found the stranger propelling himself with his hands, although in a sitting posture, towards the tide which was rising. They stopped him just in time. A lot of ship’s biscuit and a jug of water were high up on the beach, no doubt at the spot where he was first placed.

The government, on being informed, secured a Frenchman at Meteghan to care for the man. “Jerome” and “Colombo” were the only names he would utter. He may be a Portuguese from Colombo, Ceylon, or Colombo may have been the name of the ship he last served in. Again, his own name may be Jerome Colombo. Mr. Mecchi, an Italian gentleman, residing at Meteghan, has often tried to converse with the man, and has succeeded in getting him to say a few words. From his accent Mr. Mecchi inclines to the opinion that the stranger is an Italian from the Adriatic coast, and if so his name is probably Jerome Colombo. It was Aug. 23, 1868, the man was discovered.

About a year ago the Digby Courier published the story of a sailor who told how another sailor’s legs had been amputated on board ship on the eastern coast of Nova Scotia. He seemed to think that this man and “Jerome” were the same. The unknown is supported by a provincial fund for the relief of transient paupers.